Do I Eat Enough Protein?

I have had several concerned readers wonder if I am getting enough protein. I have never really questioned it, just assumed I was, but it sounds like the dangers of not consuming enough protein are pretty serious. The eating habits that I am trying to establish now are ones that I want to keep for the rest of my life. Once I get to goal I may be able to add 100-200 calories but that's about all that will change. It's very important that what I am doing currently be a good plan for my health in the long run. So I decided it would definitely be worth it to do some research to answer the question...

Do I eat enough protein?

The long answer:

This is a chart from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ which is the USDA's nutrition website.

This chart aligns with the amount my FP4H Member's Guide suggests: 5 oz. equivalents of protein per day. As far as I can tell, 5oz. equivalents of protein per day is a pretty standard recommendation for most women. This has been my target for quite some time.

I could probably get away with 5.5 oz. if I really wanted to, and considering I'm not perfect with my measuring/weighing, I likely do. But I fall into the 31-50 range (see above chart) which recommends 5 oz. equivalents per day. I rarely exercise more than 30 minutes a day. Only on my long run days, which is about once a week.

I wasn't satisfied with just these findings, so I researched how many grams of protein that I should consume daily as I know that various food items, no matter what their weight, would contain varying amounts of protein. Sources I found (and I looked at a lot!) suggest anywhere from 45-75 grams per day for a female with all my stats. The results from one of many protein calculators I used:

If I want to consider myself an endurance/resistance athlete (which I don't really) I could increase that amount up to 85 grams per day. That sounds like a lot. But from what I can tell you can't really get too much protein. Anyway...

Let's say 50-80 grams of protein per day is a good amount.I took a few random trackers (since I have a tracker library now!) and tallied up the grams of protein I consumed in those days. I added up the protein from all of the food groups, not just the "protein" category foods. What I found really shocked me.

First of all,  I found that on average, I consume over 80 grams of protein per day! I had no idea.

Second, the whole grains that I eat contain lots of protein! Check out the protein content of these grain items I consume on a regular basis:

• Whole grain English muffin--5 grams
• Piece Whole grain bread--4 grams
• 1 c. Quaker oat cereal--8 grams
• 1/2 c. Old Fashioned oats--5grams

I was really excited about this as I am slightly self-conscious of my grain consumption. It seems outrageously high but I have been able to lose weight while eating them and I don't like the thought of life without cereal and bread. (5-6 oz. equivalents of grains per day is my goal) I do not eat whole grains exclusively, but on most days more than half of my grains are whole. The "white grains" that I eat contain little to no protein.

I wondered if the grain protein was "as good" as the meat protein since you don't really hear people encouraging the consumption of grains to up your protein. I decided to research the difference in the whole grain protein sources and the protein that comes from meat. My hunch was correct. Kind of.

I'm probably the last person on the planet to know this but in case someone else has been under the rock with me...Protein coming from animal sources (meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs) are considered "complete" which means they contain all of the essential amino acids. Plant sources of protein, like the whole grains I consume or nuts are incomplete proteins because they do not contain every single essential amino acid. The science involved with this is a little too much for me to go into here but basically, because I eat a combination of many different protein sources they combine or "complement" one another to make complete protein. Yay.

Finally,(feel like I'm beating a dead horse here) the amount of meat (usually chicken) that I normally eat in a day provides 40 grams of complete protein which, according to several sources, would be nearly enough for me on its own.

The short answer: Yes, I do eat enough protein. :)

I just wanted to share these findings because I felt like a scientist and/or an investigator today. Hopefully this information will be helpful! And if I missed something crucial in my research let me know;)

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Tracker 36

Week in Review No. 5

Start weight:228 lbs
Current weight:171.7
Total loss:56.3
Weekly loss/gain: -.7

Physical
This week was just about as disciplined as I get when it comes to food. (Until about 3 hours ago. Today's tracker will document.) I set a goal to have two days of eating 1200 calories as opposed to the 1400-1500 I usually aim for and was successful. I also set a goal last week to exercise everyday for at least 15 minutes. I did not meet that goal. I have been getting my long runs in but walking a lot during the week. Doing the short runs throughout the week becomes essential now as the mileage is increasing on my training schedule and race day approaches. I really need to get motivated to move more this week.

Mental
The mental battle early on this week was me giving up sugar in my coffee. Which ended up being me giving up coffee almost entirely. I did have a cup this morning with Equal and regular half and half but it wasn't worth it. I just don't like it that way. But I don't really miss the coffee. I haven't had headaches or any side effects like that. After the first couple of days I didn't really think about it.

Emotional
Again, the tiny loss frustrates me. Especially since I feel that I truly gave it my all this week. I can't say that this has happened many times--giving 100% and small loss. In the past it seems that a week like this might yield at least a 2 or 3 pound loss. It really got the best of me today and I just felt mentally and emotionally tired with no reward of weight loss.  I don't think the gall bladder is in danger (lol) but I did not eat well today. Which is a shame because if I was going to veer off course I would have rather done it last night with homemade desserts. But, I digress. The last time I had a day sort of like this it came on the heels of a .2 loss. Apparently anything less than a one pound loss is not acceptable to me. In my head I know that it's not all about the numbers. "A loss is a loss." I preach that all the time. It's so easy to say. I guess that truth just hasn't made it to the deepest parts of my heart yet. I will continue to pray for that end. In the meantime, what I weigh today and how I messed up today will not diminish my recognition of what was otherwise a perfectly wonderful week on plan and  just in general.

Spiritual
Most days I was able to sneak into the bathroom for 15 to 20 minutes with no interruptions for a quiet time with God. I had a little chuckle studying in Mark chapter 1:35-37: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”  Ha! Jesus truly does know how I feel! Can't I just get a few minutes alone in the bathroom, people? :) But seriously, the quiet time that was provided for me this week was just perfect. I continue to pray that this would become a habit. I am excited as I sense the Lord leading me into some uncharted waters in my life. It is amazing to look back on the past few years, even months, and see how He has paved the way for new opportunities and cultivated my heart so that His desires could grow there. Scripture memory for this week was Romans 1:17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed--a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "the righteous will live by faith."

Weekly Highlights

• Talked throughout a 3 mile run, never been able to do that before due to lack of breath. This was a milestone!
• Fun times with family
• 1200 calorie goal met

Weekly Goals

• Three 1200 calorie days (Tues, Thurs, Sat)
• Run 5 out of 7 days (Mon (6mi), Tues, Thurs, Fri., Sun)
• No overeating if my weight loss isn't what I expect on Sunday

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